"The most important duty or obligation of any government is to make sure its citizens are safe," Rasso said.

Rasso said he also hoped to alleviate the city's gridlock by synchronizing traffic lights, limiting road construction to off-peak hours and working to clean up University Avenue, which is plagued by gang activity and prostitution.

His rival, Melendrez, said he would work to control growth and preserve open space.

"We haven't provided enough retail or provided enough parks to ... create a balanced community," Melendrez said. He also named traffic control and gang-violence prevention along University Avenue as major concerns.

Rasso won 42% of the vote in the November election, and Melendrez had 32%.

In Ward 4, Councilman Schiavone, a custom-home builder, said he wanted to improve transportation and public safety in his ward, and maintain the city's rosy financial state.

The one-term councilman has worked to ease complaints by residents that the flight paths of DHL cargo planes travel over local neighborhoods, contrary to plans advertised by the hub's developer. Schiavone, a member of the March Joint Powers Authority, said he was working with DHL to modify the flight paths.

"I'm not a single-issue candidate," Schiavone said.

His rival, Cardelucci, is calling for an investigation of the DHL agreement and says he hopes to ease traffic, manage growth and draw jobs to the city.

He plans to "hold City Hall accountable to you," according to a candidate statement.

Cardelucci drew 25% of the vote in November, behind Schiavone's 43%.

Runoffs are held between the top vote-getters when no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

Turnout for the runoffs in two of Riverside's seven wards was about 19%, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters website late Tuesday night.